Saturday, May 30, 2009

IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME

since I've posted anything here and yet so much has happened.

In March John (that's the husband) had to have some prostrate surgery,which for most men would have been rather minor,but in John's case it was major and came close to dying. First of all he can't go under general anesthetic because he's on oxygen 24/7 and his lungs are too badly destroyed so they would have to do a spinal. Right up to the very last minute we didn't know if they would do the surgery,cause his lung Dr. was so worried. Finally he gave his OK. The alternative was that John would have to wear a catheter & a bag the rest of his life. I believe this problem was caused by one of his lung meds. Hells bells they even say so in the commercial for it on TV!!!
But he has to be on that drug and MANY others. It's one of those,what's the alternative deals!!!
To try to fast forward,he went to ICU,then to a regular room,then he was to be discharged. BTW I must say the nurses DID NOT get him up to walk!!! As a former nurse I'd keep saying to him,you need to get up & walk. Well since he was attached to the wall with the O2 they need to call for a portable tank. They didn't do that.
Then he was to be discharged. Our daughter went to pick him up. Thank God Mary Jo has good common sense!!! She kept telling the nurse somethings wrong with him,he shouldn't be discharged. It fell on deaf ears. So Mary Jo went right next door to the Dr.While the Dr. worked on him,he got him readmitted.Turned out he has a huge blood clot in his lung (it's still there)so back to ICU.The surgeon called me that nite & told me he could die. They had heart surgeons come in on a saturday (which they don't do) to put a screen in his groin to catch any other clots. They did find one in his leg that afternoon.They feel the screen will catch that one.
Shortenin' up the story again,after he was discharged from the hospital,we had to see another Dr. who told us that he has chronic luekemia.
All this began on March 17th.
Before this we had made the hard decision that we would have to file bankruptcy. We've always worked very hard and ALWAYS paid our bills. THAT'S what ya do THAT'S your obligation and that's how we always felt. But with both of us being ill and more & more being taken from his Firefighter's Disabilty we just couldn't do it anymore. So we started paying a lawyer everything we could,finally got him paid last month so I guess he's filing the bankruptcy next week. While John was in ICU we also made the decision that we didn't have enough to pay the house payment anymore. We had been struggling with it for months since they had raised it due to taxes. So I had to call them to tell them not to take the house payment out and that we wouldn't be able to pay it anymore.
I keep thinkin' every month,well we SHOULD have some money this month,but nope hasn't happened LOL!!!! Ya see we have this used van that's HAS to be the BIGGEST lemon in the world!!!!! It's a true money pit. In fact John just came home from pickin' it up,since once again it's been repaired to the tune of $860. Well there went June's check LOL!!!!! Well more stuff up on ebay!!!!!

We're OK though. I don't let myself dwell on the fact that John's Dr. has said that he's in the last stages of his illness and made sure his DNR was on file at the hospital. There IS one thing that DOES make me mad. John was a Firefeighter. Highly respected still by even younger guys who never worked with him but always knew about him and things he did for the department. I remember once a new guy shook his hand and said to John that it was an honor to meet him. WOW!!!! Most of his career John ran rescue and in those early days of his career when the city wouldn't give him money to buy things for the rescue squad he was trying to build,he'd use our money.
And what's the thing that makes me mad????? Well,John has saved people's lives,been commendated for it,was chosen by the American Legion as Fireman of the year,which only happened one year because the Legion had always before and since only honored a Policeman of the year. John ,being rescue was always 1st in,most often without a mask,because there weren't enough to go around. Then there was this one time he was caught in a backdraft (ever see that movie??)and got chemical burns to his lungs.That was the start of the end,a full disability retirement from the job he always gave 110% to. So why do we have to struggle so hard,he deserved more.

This is how it is: You can always look around a corner and find someone worse off than you. Crying makes your eyes red and your nose run!!!!!
I laugh and make jokes ALL the time. You should hear some of the sick jokes we make arguing who's gonna die 1st LOL!!!
For someone who seldom leaves the house,I'm busier than a one armed paper hanger!!!!
I have the gift and priviledge of THE BESTEST internet friends that I talk to on the phone!!!! eBay groups to run & participate in. My work to make a sell on ebay. Takin' care of John. We won't talk about laundry & cleaning though. I find that those things are hazardous to my health or lack there of and should be avoided at all costs!!!!
DON'T feel sorry for me, I DON'T!!!! I've got my health,oh wait no I don't LOL LOL!!!

Well,see what happens when I do decide to blog,I write a freakin' book!!!! Two of my friends, Lori Brechlin and Meg (Nutmeg) Wommack are always telling me that I should write a book. I tell them no I can't do that,I write like I talk.too much!!!

I better get busy workin' on stuff to list & hmmm maybe I should get dressed too!!!!

Sherry OUT!!!!

5 comments:

  1. Oh, Sherry...I'm so sorry that all of this is happening to you and John; bless you both and you're in my prayers...
    Sending you good vibes (((())))

    Sandi

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  2. It's a durn good thing that you and John have been blessed with a sense of humor! This is a tremendous amount of "stuff" to have to go through in such a short period of time. I was thinking it would be nice if maybe someone can organize a fund raiser of sorts? Being as John did so much for the fire dept and community, maybe something like having it at the fire dept.? For a flat donation, offer kids tours of the fire dept and maybe a pic of them in gear behind the wheel of an engine? Serve burgers and ice cream? And maybe a wet down with a hose on a hot day? Might not raise enough dough to last forever, but it might be enough to keep the roof over your heads... Anyways, hugs to you and John!

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  3. Well Thank You Sandi,EVERYBODY needs prayers!!!!

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  4. Aw Moosey,how sweet,but neither one of us could ever do that. We wouldn't want to be the center of attention in that way. I especially KNOW John wouldn't.
    We'll be OK just have to get ourselves out to see if somebody will rent to this couple of "dead beats" before the Sheriff comes a knockin' LOL!!!!!
    Don't worry your pretty head!!!!!

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It makes me so happy to hear from you!